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Faculty-led Study Abroad: Foreign Travel Checklist

Information and Resources

    • Go to the U.S. State Department and USA Study Abroad websites and review their posted travel warnings and information on any countries with travel warnings or restrictions. Risk Management and Insurance recommends that you consider all the risks associated with travel to these noted countries before you obtain University administration approval to travel. Depending on the State Department warning level you may want to consider rescheduling your foreign travel to a later time until the travel warning or restriction is removed.
    • Please contact the Center for Global Education office for their recommendations relative to safety, health and travel information relative to your planned foreign destination.
    • Contact the Office of Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) to be sure you have reported all planned University staff or faculty foreign travel prior to your scheduled departure. Report your foreign travel to RMI with as much lead time as possible.
    • Note: As required by our State Insurance Administrator’s Office as well as the U.S. State Department any university employee travel to a restricted country must have an approved License Authorization from the U.S. State Department before they travel and a copy of that license must be sent to the University’s RMI office.

Common faculty responsibilities:

  • Organize and execute a pre-departure meeting/orientation.
  • Check in with home university/study abroad office upon arrival at program site.
  • Participate in group excursions and events.
  • Provide academic oversight of courses.
  • Coordinate with faculty and administrators at the host university(s).
  • Provide students and university/study abroad office with contact information during program free periods; attempt to collect such information from students.
  • Provide in-country orientation (including how to get around, change money, use a telephone, etc.).
  • Provide housing oversight.
  • Supervision of local staff.
  • Be responsible for group safety and security; know the whereabouts ofyour students at all times.
  • Respond in a timely manner to students in crisis (accident, illness, family problems at home, etc.); contact the University about serious cases.
  • Have an emergency/crisis management plan.
  • Monitor group dynamics and activities as is feasible and intervene as needed.
  • Promptly report to university and document any inappropriate student behavior.
  • Budget and monitor program spending within approved budget.
  • Submit program reports and evaluations on a regular basis.
  • Administer and collect program evaluations shortly before departure from the foreign country.
  • While traveling abroad, have a list of all students with contact information; parents contact information; student insurance information; all students required to carry copy of Executive Assistance contact information.
  • Verify all staff and students have been vaccinated for country’s disease exposures.
  • Report all accidents and/or incidents.
  • Register with the US Embassy in the country visited prior to or upon arrival.
  • Know the Political situation of the country visited.

Insurance Coverage for University Travel Abroad

    • Foreign Liability Insurance: Protects the University and employee for accidental injury or property damage to third parties caused by the activities of Boise State employees working within the course and scope of their employment duties abroad. Complete the Foreign Travel/Liability Template on the RMI website and submit to Risk Management prior to departure. Liability coverage is not effective until reported.
    • Contingent auto liability and hired auto physical damage insurance coverage.
    • Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance coverage.
    • Accident Insurance Policy: This applies to Boise State employees traveling on University business to foreign countries but does not include the United States, its territories, possessions or Puerto Rico. The ACE Executive Assistance Services policy includes expert foreign travel assistance to include: Trip Planning, Travel Alerts, Security Services, Emergency Assistance, and Concierge Services.
    • Worker’s Compensation Insurance: This covers university employees worldwide who are injured while working within the course of their Boise State employment duties. This includes reasonable and necessary related medical evacuation and repatriation cost expenses. Should any employee have an injury, an accident, or suffer a serious illness while working abroad they need to immediately notify their University department head and that department head then needs to notify our Risk Management Office ASAP. Depending on the type of incident our Risk Management office will then report to our State Insurance Administrator’s Office who will handle the claim notification to ACE International Advantage and/or the Idaho State Insurance Fund.
    • Health Insurance: prior to international travel, each faculty member, staff member and student needs to contact their health insurance carrier or visit their carrier’ s website to print out important coverage information.
    • Travel Insurance: consider the purchase of travel insurance for coverage in the event of cancelled/delayed flights, lost baggage/personal items, etc.